Memories
of Auntie Rose
By
Paul Harvey Her God Son




Rose and my mum, Joan, first met during World War II when they were both in the Land Army and my mum was transferred from a farm to work at the Christiansons nursery in Hertfordshire. I remember stories from both of them about how they were always getting into trouble, each blaming the other, even years later when they were talking about old times. One of the many tales I was told was when the foreman instructed all the Land Army women to clean the outside of the greenhouses in freezing weather with buckets of cold water, they all refused to do the work which led to a lot of trouble. Shortly afterwards my mum was transferred to another base and Rose was transferred elsewhere but as a result of their war time experiences and their period together in the greenhouses they become lifelong best friends enjoying wonderful times together.

After the war Rose would frequently visit Manchester and stay at my mum’s parents’ house in Chorlton. When I was born Rose was asked to be my Godmother and bought me a small white bible which I still have to this day. Although she was not family to me and for the rest of her life I would call her Auntie Rose. She taught me many important and valuable lessons in life including how to drink and have a good time.

As a boy I can remember Rose regularly coming to stay at our house in Manchester for a week’s holiday when her and mum would go out for the day, sometimes into the city centre shopping or the cinema and Rose would always take boxes of cream cakes back home for her friends and work colleagues.

When I was about 10 or 11 years old we started to visit her in Hertfordshire, firstly at her house in Waltham Cross which she shared with a printing company that she would eventually go on to work for. We would all go out for the day, sometimes seeing the sights in London, sometimes Cambridge, a place she particularly liked, or to the seaside. On one occasion I can remember us having grandstand seats for the Queens Trooping of the Colour. Rose had two cats at the time one called Sam who was completely black and the other called Cosset who was completely white. Rose and mum were always giggling at inappropriate things and afterwards Rose would always say, “Aren’t we wicked” and start laughing again. I can remember on the first visit we made to Waltham Cross Rose bought me my first transistor radio which I thought was fantastic and which I would listen to under the bedcovers.

In 1968 Manchester United reached the European Cup Final, to be held at Wembley, Dad managed to get four tickets and Mum and Rose decided that they wanted to attend having never been to a football match or had any interest in football in their lives. I don’t think they really realised what a big occasion it was but they were both captivated by the occasion, the colours of all the banners and they absolutely loved it.

For a short time after leaving the shared house Rose lived above a linen shop in Waltham Cross but in 1978 she moved to her cottage in Goffs Oak where she lived for the rest of her life. I remember her being so happy at moving to her own little cottage surrounded by woods, stables and a small holding with chickens and bees. Sadly, most of this is now housing. I spent a few days of my honeymoon in that cottage while Rose was staying in Manchester. In those days there was no bathroom, only a kitchen sink to wash but it was soon altered by the owners to make Rose comfortable.

Over the years Rose would continue to visit Manchester and Mum and Dad would visit her in Goffs Oak. They frequently went on holiday together, to either Torquay, Wales or Scotland and on one occasion went on a coach tour of the Alps. I also remember Rose going on a cruise with friends and not surprisingly enjoyed the cream cakes which were readily available.

As time passed Doreen and I enjoyed visiting Rose, firstly on our own and then with our boys, Andrew and Philip. She was always such fun and so kind. She would spoil the boys with big bags of sweets just the same as she had done with me all those years before. Andrew took his first steps with Rose which she was thrilled about. They loved to visit Rose when they were children, playing in the woods and seeing the horses which would come up to the back door. We would all go out for the day together or if we went into London she would be waiting on the doorstep with a smile when we returned and a lovely meal cooking. Whilst visiting we would always go out to local pubs for meals together which she enjoyed. In an evening we would chat about old times, she was proud of her East End roots and would tell us about parties and eating jellied eels. Rose would often sit up to all hours drinking with Doreen, she particularly liked liqueurs. She was a bundle of energy so in the morning she would be busily cooking a big breakfast and complaining about how bad her head was feeling from the night before.

When we were able to visit in later years she loved to reminisce about the times we had spent together and all the things we had done. Always saying how much she missed my mum. Auntie Rose will stay in my heart forever as one of the kindest, most generous and best Aunties anyone could ever wish for.